Events
Less than a month to go!
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Willem Wester’s Grand Soleil 43, Antilope returns to defend their win Credit: Todd VanSickle/BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival With less than one month to go until the 41st edition of the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival, a truly international cast is making ready to take centre stage in the beautiful sailing grounds of the British Virgin Islands. Well over 500 competitors are expected to enjoy some hot racing and fabulous shoreside entertainment – and we’re looking forward to welcoming them all to Nanny Cay!
The BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival has always attracted sailors from all over the world and this year is no exception, participants from at least 12 different nations will compete at this year’s event: Australia, British Virgin Islands, Croatia, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Ireland, Puerto Rico, Russia, Sweden, United States and St. Martin.
BVI Spring Regatta going green and for Gold
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Beautiful recycled awards for winners of the 2012 BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival made by The Glass Studio Project The BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival, presented and hosted by Nanny Cay and known for its innovation on and off the race course, was the first regatta in the world to be recognized by Sailors of the Sea Clean Regatta Program with a Silver Certificate for its commitment to improving the ocean environment. This year the event organisers are going for the Gold certificate. Taking another giant leap forward in its conservation efforts they will be awarding prizes made from recycled glass from the 2011 event.
Third International Yacht Club Challenge at BVI Spring Regatta
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There is now less than two months to the start of the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival and among a large fleet of charter yachts expected for the event, yacht clubs from across the globe can also take part in the third International Yacht Club Challenge (IYCC).
The Commodore of the Royal British Virgin Islands Yacht Club has invited other yacht clubs from around the world to send a team to compete in the IYCC. Yacht clubs from around the world can select members to represent their club and charter a boat from Sunsail. The top prize is a Sunsail charter for a week, hopefully to be used returning the following year to defend the club’s title.
41st BVI Spring Regatta Approaching
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Antelope enjoying fantastic racing conditions went on to win Racing A in the 2011 BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival. Credit: Todd VanSickle/BVI Spring Regatta& Sailing FestivalWith gorgeous sailing conditions and amazing scenery, the British Virgin Islands offer sailing enthusiasts an idyllic place to soak up the sun. The BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival presented and hosted by Nanny Cay, is the highlight of the season in one of the world’s best sailing locations.
“With seven days of fun and five events to chose from, the regatta has a lot to offer, which is probably why it attracts so many different nationalities. It’s not all about hard-core racing, but we have that too. The regatta is a celebration of all that the BVIs have to offer.” commented Regatta Chairman, Bob Phillips.
Providing hot racing, great parties and a celebrated festival, the event includes a four-day Sailing Festival followed by a three day Regatta, punctuated with some fabulous shore side parties and events. For over 40 years, the BVI Spring Regatta has attracted some of the world’s most famous yachts and sailors and this year is no exception.
Tortola Sloop Shootout at Nanny Cay
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Tortola Sloops at Nanny CayFor years, Tortola was a major boat-building island, gaining a reputation for wooden boats known as Tortola Sloops. They were used extensively throughout the greater Virgin Islands, in particular when it came to shipping cattle from Anegada to St. Thomas.
“These boats are a major part of maritime heritage here,” said Geoffrey Brooks, who curates the Maritime Museum at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College’s Centre for Applied Marine Studies.
Read MoreAn update from General Manager, Miles Sutherland-Pilch
The beginning of December provides a good opportunity to update our many friends on the variety of events and activities that have been happening at Nanny Cay. Fortunately we had a quiet Hurricane Season giving the staff time to get ready for the start of the season. With visitors starting to arrive and the slips starting to fill up there is a real buzz about the place.
Read MoreMed Spirit Takes Line Honours in ARC 2011
Although both boats clocked impressive speeds of 25 knots and covered over 300 miles per day, they were unable to beat the ARC crossing record set by Rinaldo del Bono in Capricorno in 2006 with a crossing time of 11 days, 5 hours, 32 minutes and 30 seconds. Lighter winds on the final approaches combined with a blown spinnaker on Rayon Vert and problems onboard Med Spirit put paid to their record hopes.
Read MoreVaquita on course to smash ARC 2011 record
The ARC 2011, now in its 25th year, departed from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on 20 November and set sail for Rodney Bay Marina in Saint Lucia, a distance of some 2,700 nautical miles. Many of the yachts will return in the ARC Europe, which will leave Nanny Cay on 5 May next year.
Read MoreMovember Gala on the beach at Nanny Cay
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Freeman Rogers, Man of Movember 2011Much tomfoolery, hijinks, a little bad taste, and a lot of dubious facial hair, was seen on the beach at Nanny Cay last night as we hosted the Movember Gala for the third time. Movember (the month formerly known as November) is a moustache growing charity event held during November each year that raises funds and awareness for men’s health. This year’s event was elevated to stratospheric heights when Sir Richard Branson made a surprise appearance joining Governor Boyd McCleary, Tamara Archibald-Gill, Miles Sutherland-Pilch and the BVI Cancer Society on the judging panel.
Freeman Rogers of the BVI Beacon was crowned Man of Movember 2011 with a magnificent specimen – his second win – while Jason Smith, Freeman’s colleague at the BVI Beacon won the Mo Lumberjack award.
Read MoreCaribbean 1500 wraps up at Nanny Cay with Defiant safely on the dock
The crew of Defiant receive their awardsWith only an hour to go before the start of the Caribbean 1500 latecomers prizegiving, Defiant, sailing under emergency tiller, came in loud and clear on the Nanny Cay VHF. Kimberleigh and Lyndon Humer’s Wauquiez 43 made its final approach to Nanny Cay under tow from new dockmaster Brendon Joyce, as her propeller had fouled at the same time as the steering failure, and was greeted by thunderous applause from the many rally participants who had been waiting anxiously for her arrival.
For Defiant, the rum punch on the dock, the last served by World Crusing Club staff this year, was hard earned and well deserved. For Lyndon, Kimberleigh and their 18-year-old son Dylan, the passage was their first offshore. It was certainly a baptism by fire. “We were sailing in 30 to 35 knots, with big waves astern,” said Dylan. “A wave reared up behind us, and with a sickening ‘POP!’ the steering went and we were out of control.”
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